Chapter 178: Family Confrontation
Chapter 178: Family Confrontation
(Celeste’s POV)
I stood in the Winter Pack’s main hall, every gaze heavy with judgment and accusation. The space was suffocating, filled with the oppressive weight of my so–called family’s condemnation. My silver–scarred wolf stirred restlessly within me, bracing for the inevitable
onslaught.
Scarlett huddled close to Victoria, her tear–streaked face as innocent as ever. Her emerald
eyes shimmered with fear and vulnerability, perfectly crafted to ignite everyone’s sympathy.
Even now, in the middle of this storm she had caused, she clung to her position as the pack’s
precious jewel.
“You’ve gone too far this time, Celeste!” Luna Victoria’s voice cracked with pain, her wolf’s aura tinged with disappointment. “You deliberately put Scarlett in harm’s way!”
I stood motionless, my violet eyes coldly meeting hers. My wolf pushed against the surface,
daring me to reveal the truth they all refused to see.
“I merely supported her desire to attend a prestigious pack event,” I replied, my voice
measured and unwavering.
Victoria flinched, as if my calm tone burned worse than an audible snarl. “You knew what would happen!” she accused. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You knew Princess Katherine would target her!”
“And yet I wasn’t the one who sent Scarlett tumbling into the sacred moon garden, was I?” My
words were sharp, cutting through their assumptions.
I tilted my head toward Scarlett. Her lips trembled as fresh tears fell. “She walked into the garden of her own accord. Surely you can’t hold me accountable for every step she takes.”
Lucas’s wolf growled low in the corner, making the air prickle with tension. His green eyes glinted gold with fury as they locked onto me. “Don’t pretend innocence,” he snapped, stepping forward, his tall figure radiating aggression. “You deliberately set her up!”
His wolf’s dominance surged, but I didn’t flinch. My violet eyes flicked toward him as I crossed
my arms in defiance.
“The ceremonial robe that caused this entire scandal,” I began evenly, my words carrying an
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Chapter 178: Family Confrontati…
icy precision, “wasn’t even from me.”
Lucas’s brows furrowed, confusion flickering beneath his anger. Scarlett hiccupped, her tear–filled gaze darting between us, unsure of where this was heading.
“The robe was from Alexander,” I declared, letting the truth thunder across the hall.
For a brief moment, there was silence–stifling and thick. Their reactions hit like a tidal wave.
Scarlett’s lips parted, disbelief washing over her delicate features.
“You’re lying.” Scarlett’s voice trembled, as if she were clinging to her faith in Alexander’s perfect image. “Alexander wouldn’t…”
“Ask him yourself,” I shot back, my tone clipped. There was no hesitation in my stance, no
reason to soften the truth.
Victoria looked stunned, her expression morphing into one of hesitant doubt. “If the robe was
from Alexander…” she trailed off, letting the implications set in.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Alpha James’s wolf bristled as his voice cut harshly through the tension. His dominance filled the hall, demanding an answer.
I couldn’t help it; a bitter laugh escaped me, the sound jagged and strained. “Would you have believed me?” I asked, letting my gaze linger on each of them.
Victoria’s lips pressed into a thin line, unable to meet my eyes. Scarlett dropped her gaze to her lap, her fingers twisted into the edges of her designer dress for comfort. Even Lucas tensed, his jaw tightening as unease flickered across his face. Their silence was answer
enough.
“What would you have said?” I continued, my tone rising with frustration. “That I was trying to sabotage Scarlett and Alexander’s upcoming marking ceremony?”
The bitter truth hung in the air around us. I had learned recently that the truth could be the sharpest of weapons, cutting into their narrative with precision.
“But let’s ask this, I straightened my back, my voice laced with challenge. “Why is no one questioning Alexander’s actions? One word from him to Princess Katherine–just one–could have ended the entire situation. Yet, he said nothing. Why aren’t any of you holding him accountable?”
The silence deepened, stretching uncomfortably as their minds scrambled for justification.
“Don’t try to shift the blame,” Alpha James growled low, his eyes locking onto me like claws. “You set this in motion. Your intentions were as plain as day.”
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His wolf surged with power, the heavy aura pressing against mine until the air felt impossible. to breathe. “Thirty silver–chain lashes,” he declared with finality, “as pack punishment.”
My wolf recoiled slightly, its silver–scarred memories clawing to the forefront of my mind. The bite of silver chains from my years in Moon Shadow Prison echoed in my bones, making my muscles tense involuntarily. Still, I refused to bow.
I opened my mouth, venom–loaded words ready to spill–but a weak voice from the entrance
cut through the air.
“Stop!”
The command, though soft, carried with it a weight they all submitted to immediately. Every pair of eyes turned toward Eleanor’s frail form standing in the doorway.
“Grandmother?” Lucas’s voice softened, his wolf whimpering at the sight of her weakened
frame.
Eleanor’s hunched figure leaned against a walking stick, but her presence filled the room as though every inch of her body radiated ancient power. Despite her faltering steps, her golden
eyes burned brightly with authority.
“No one will harm my granddaughter,” she declared, moving closer despite the visible tremble
in her fingers.
“Mother,” Alpha James began, his tone both commanding and hesitant, but Eleanor silenced
him with a sharp glare.
“You dare touch her,” Eleanor hissed, her wolf’s protective aura burning through the oppressive
dominance of Alpha James, “and you’ll answer to me.”
The collective tension in the room shifted. She moved slowly toward me, her weak frame still
radiating enough strength to stand firmly at my side.
There were whispers of protest from Victoria, but Eleanor narrowed her eyes. Her voice cut through the chaos with high clarity. “Did anyone think to ask why Celeste encouraged Scarlett
to go to the gathering?”
There was no answer, only uneasy glances exchanged between family members.
Eleanor’s hand gently grasped mine, urging me to speak. “Tell them,” she said softly, her words
breaking through whatever emotional wall I had left. “Tell them your reasons, dear.”
When I spoke, my voice crackled like dry leaves, yet I held nothing back. “Yes, Grandmother. I
knew Princess Katherine’s intentions. I knew she wanted to send Scarlett to Moon Shadow
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Chapter 178: Family Confrontati….
Prison.”
There was a collective gasp. All eyes snapped toward me, wide with shock. It was as if I had
dropped an explosive secret into the middle of the room.
“Then why?” Victoria’s voice trembled, her expression filled with fear, disbelief, and confusion. “Why encourage Scarlett to go?”
My gaze shifted to Lucas. I didn’t blink. Tears burned hot in my eyes, but I didn’t falter. “Because I knew Scarlett would be safe,” I said plainly.
My voice cracked under the weight of my emotions, but I refused to look away. “Both Lucas and Alexander were by her side.”
Those words–simple and direct–hit Lucas like a physical blow. His wolf let out a strained whimper, bowing beneath the weight of realization.
The room felt suffocating in the stillness that followed. My tears fell freely, my voice soft as I continued. “Four years ago, when Princess Katherine accused me of breaking her sacred moon crystal, Lucas stood by Scarlett’s side. So did Alexander. Their protection saved her
then, and it condemned me instead.”
Lucas’s shoulders slumped. His wolf howled from deep within, tormented by the truth he had tried to ignore for years.
Scarlett, confused, tilted her head toward him. “Of course you protected me,” she said, her
innocent voice twisting the knife deeper. “You’re my brother.”
Her innocent words twisted the knife deeper. Yes, Lucas was her brother – just as he had once
been mine.
Eleanor’s frail hand squeezed my shoulder. She alone had understood my pain, had fought for my release from prison while others remained silent.
“The gathering proved one thing,” I continued, my voice steady despite my tears. “Scarlett was never in real danger. Not with her protective brother and powerful future mate standing guard.”
The bitter truth hung heavy in the air. While Scarlett enjoyed the protection of both Lucas and
Alexander, I had faced my accusers alone.
Lucas took a stumbling step toward me, his face pale with dawning horror. He finally
understood the full weight of his choices – both past and present.
